What happened after SmackDown went off air?

SmackDown Superstar Big E had a message for the WWE Universe after tonight's episode came to an end.

The July 16, 2021 edition of WWE SmackDown was a special one for fans as this was the first time in more than a year that any of WWE's weekly shows featured a live audience. The show was jam-packed with exciting bouts as well as the buildup to Sunday's Money in the Bank event.

The main event of WWE SmackDown featured a Fatal Four-Way match pitting Seth Rollins, Big E, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Kevin Owens. Rollins delivered a brutal Curb Stomp to Big E on a ladder and pinned him to score the big win. The Blue brand went off the air with The Messiah celebrating on top of a ladder while clutching the Money in the Bank briefcase.

Big E sends a message to the WWE Universe after SmackDown

A fan captured some footage after SmackDown went off air and the short clip was uploaded to Twitter. The clip shows Big E sending a heartfelt message to the WWE Universe. He spoke about fans being back at the show after more than a year and went on to thank them for their energy. Check it out below:

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WWE held its final show with a live audience way back in March 2020 following which it had to move the shows to the Performance Center amidst the COVID-19 crisis. The shows were later moved to the WWE ThunderDome.

The company did its bit towards presenting uninterrupted shows on a weekly basis, but the absence of live crowds was hampering the overall experience to a large extent. Tonight's SmackDown was a breath of fresh air for fans and there couldn't have been anyone better than Big E to send them home happy with a heartfelt promo.

What did you think of SmackDown tonight? Share your comments below!

About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Kaushik Das